The Portland daily press., 1887-07-07
The Sober Truth About the Balloon.

To the Editor Of the Press:
Inasmuch as the aeronaut accomplished an
ascent from Lincoln Park at the hour ap-
pointed and rose high enough and stayed up
long enough to satisfy the crowd of gazing
spectators and the terms of his contract,
thereby earning from the city the stipulated
$500, it may be claimed that an inquiry into
the truth or error Of statements made by him
or in reference to his trip is immaterial and
proitless. But the excuse given for the short
ness of his flight, his speedy descent and in
glorious landing is so transparency incorrect
that it ought not to be allowed to pass I'M
contradicted into history
The assertion is made in your paper that
ION ascending higher the balloon struck a
current blowing oceanward, and despite all
he could do was rapidly going to sea-" Ref
erence is also made to great speed,'
''steamer-like turnings," to "the vagaries of
the strangely contrasted air currents" and
finally to dangerous speed and "the open
ocean that meant death within the next few
hours at the very farthest."
Now, 1t is safe to say that every one of
these blood-curdling statements is purely i'm
aginary, whatever the writer may have been
told or believed. For hundreds of unexcited
and unalarmed intelligent men, on foot or in
carriages, watched the entire course of the
balloon. for the steady, moderate southwest
wind afforded ample opportunity
The sober truth is that the balloon moved
off with absolute steadiness and unaccelerat-
ed motion, in a straight course, exactly on
the line of Congress street, being distinctly
visible between the double line of trees every
moment until after the precipitate descent to
which the writer alludes; then, and not till
then, it detected gradually still more land
ward, or more northerly. The direction of
Congress street from the Cathedral is slight
~ north Of northeast, and not for an instant
did the balloon move in direction east of
due northeast.
Consequently it was impossible for 4 to
move "oceanward" or east of the direction
Of Brunswick village; in other words, it
started. at least three miles from ''the open
ocean," and. constantly receded from the
ocean, drawing nearer to the mainland,
which but for the descent it could not have
failed to reach within the limits of
the town of Brunswick, if not of
Freeport When the hurried descent
have been at least four miles distant, prob
ably more. The entire distance accomplished
from Lincoln Park to Princes Point in Var
MOUTH was not over eight miles mot To- as
the Argus account has it, showing the ex-
IRENE moderation OF the breeze: good horse
on the Foreside road could easily have kept
up with the balloon, and a smart steamer
might have passed it.
Old residents will agree that never since
the Frenchman Lauriat first assembled
more than fifty years ago, has an aeronaut
had more favorable chance for lofty, ex-
tended, safe and every way successful as
cent; what more could be asked than
breeze landward, cloudless sky, a genial
temperature inviting to high altitude, and
the absence of last years fog and of the
thunder showers of former FOurths.
Certainly, if Mr.. Grimley wishes to apollo
gize for the shortness Of his trip, his hasty
descent and its ludicrous results, some differ
ent excuse must be offered. IcARUs.